


Different Perspectives

by adeclanfan



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-03
Updated: 2012-08-03
Packaged: 2017-11-11 07:43:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/476205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adeclanfan/pseuds/adeclanfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will and Declan have a discussion after the events of Fugue. Punches get thrown.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Different Perspectives

prompt – Fugue

“Hey, Deco.”

“Will,” Declan acknowledged, trying not to wince. Of all the nicknames people used for Declan, 'Deco' was his least favorite. “How's Abby doing?”

Will ran a hand through his hair, he smelled like he'd finally taken a shower, and that was a positive thing. “Better. She should be able to go home in a few days. I... wanted to thank you... for helping to save Abby...”

Declan looked up from his reports and frowned. “I'm not the one who saved your girlfriend, mate. That was all on Magnus.”

“You helped with the surgery. I saw you grab the creature and lock it up.”

“That was about all the help I could be in that situation, I'm no doctor.”

Will planted a hip on the corner of the table Declan was using as a desk. “Can I ask you a question?”

Declan nodded, “You can always ask, mate. I'm not going to give odds on how well you'll like the answers you get though.”

“Why did you make me head of the Sanctuary Network when we all thought Magnus was dead? Why didn't you take it?”

Declan thought about that. “We discussed our options and it seemed Addison and his ilk wanted you as head of the network. I figured it would make us more palatable to them if Magnus' successor was someone they were willing to talk to.”

This wasn't the answer Will was expecting, judging from the look of surprise on his face. “That makes sense.” He paced over to the window and looked out at the river and New City.

“What were you thinking? That I planned to put you up so when everything went to hell, I could ride in on a white horse and save everyone?” Declan scoffed. “Not my style, mate. And beside, for the most part, I like you. I'm not waiting for you to fail.”

“I wasn't thinking that exactly. I was thinking more along the lines of its too damn much paperwork and headache and frustration.” Will put on his mock British accent, “And with a large independently financed Sanctuary to run, you can't be arsed.”

Declan laughed. “Yeah, well, there was a bit of that in the decision, too. I'm not going to lie.”

“That's what I like most about you. You tell it straight up whether I'm going to like hearing the truth or not. There are no mysterious or deceptive bones in your body.”

Declan stood up and stretched. Then, he walked over to where Will was currently looking out a window and punched him in the jaw. 

“What the hell was that for?!” Will howled, holding his jaw. 

“That was for hurting Magnus after she saved your girlfriend's adorable little ass. You've got a lot of growing up to do.” Declan waited to see what Will did next. “If you want to take a swing at me, go ahead. I've been spoiling for someone to take my frustrations out on for weeks now.” Will looked like he wanted to hit back, and Declan put his fists up, “If you ever disparage Helen Magnus in my hearing again, mate, I'll take you apart.” He growled, “Just because she hasn't held your bloody hand and told you every mistake and secret in her warehouse sized closet, doesn't me she can't be trusted.”

Will threw the second punch and it connected partially, but before he knew it he was on the floor with an arm pinned behind his back and Declan's weight on his hips. “She lied about Big Bertha. She is hiding other things now. How can you just blindly follow orders?” 

“Decades of practice, that's how. Need to know means just that. If you don't need that information, Magnus isn't going to burden you with it. The burdens are hers to bear, and when we need to have her secrets, we will.” Declan let him up and went back to his desk. 

Will opened his mouth to say something, but Declan cut him off. “Look at it from her perspective, Will, she's lived the entire twentieth century twice over. She's two hundred seventy four years old. If anyone's got the right to keep their own council, it's Helen Magnus. We're children to her and Nikola Tesla. We can't begin to understand how living that long, facing that many tragedies and mistakes and skeletons stuffed into closets makes a person gun shy about trusting anyone.”

“Magnus has lied. Flat out. She didn't kill Big Bertha.”

Declan shrugged. “Magnus has a better connection to the Abnormal world than we humans. She understands animal nature better than anyone I have ever seen.”

“What do you mean?”

“You've studied human nature, how people react in any given situation.” Declan tried to find a way to break it down for his friend. “How many species on this planet react to seeing something bigger and more powerful than them, or something they don't understand, by fearing it and trying to wipe it out of existence?”

Will's mouth dropped open, and Declan pressed on, “Whales are mammals, but they don't suddenly decide sharks and dolphins are a threat to them and commit genocide. If anything other than a human is attacked by something more powerful, it will fight it's way out and then go to ground. Hide itself from the threat. If every single human on this planet died today, the other creature that share this world would bloody well be a better off without us.

“Killing things because they are bigger and have more power than we are is wrong. Wexford. Addison. The tosser who bombed the Abnormals at the Chilean caldera. They are the most dangerous monsters on Earth, not Bertha. To me, our job is to stay out of the Abnormals way as much as possible, until we are needed, and keep humanity from fucking up the planet for all the other species out there.” 

Will nodded, “That's certainly a different way to look at what we do.”

“You didn't spend enough time with James Watson.”

“I guess I didn't.”

The End.


End file.
